One Life To Love
by cheerleeder
Summary: This twoshot is first about Jeb and his regrets as he's dying of terminal lung cancer, and secondly about Max's regrets after leaving the flock and finding that she's no longer wanted when she wants to return. Critiques welcome. :
1. Chapter 1

One year. One month. And one day. I only had one chance. Now he's gone.  
This twoshot is first about Jeb and all of his regrets when he finds out that he has terminal lung cancer. Secondly, it's about max and her regrets after leaving her flock, wanting to go out on her own, and then discovering that she was no longer wanted when she's ready to return. Based on the song "one life to love" by 33miles.

Warning: It's sad.

Here's the hyperlink for the song if you want to listen to it. It's really good, but it's sad. I cried the first time I heard it. .com/watch?v=QF1Ezk21cDo

_Italics:_ Song lyrics

**Bold:** headings

**Jeb POV:**

_He never thought he cared so much about the minute hand  
Until he started praying for, a second chance _

**Flashback**  
Jeb POV:  
"Maximum ride." I said, being as sincere as I could be seeing my own daughter locked in a cage and being unable to help her. "oh, I've missed you so much." Her look of confusion, turning slowly to recognition, and then to rage, killed me. I couldn't tell her what I wanted so badly for her to hear: that I was a good guy, that all I wanted was to keep her safe. But I couldn't.  
**End flashback**

_If he could only do it all again  
He'd trade the long nights that he spent behind his desk  
For all he missed _

Even now, years later, I couldn't bring myself to tell her the whole story. Every time I tried, she rejected me. And now here I am, sitting with Valencia, unable to change what I wanted so badly to change. Because my days on earth are numbered, and I have completely lost her trust.

_He tells his wife "I wish that this moment in this room was not me dying, but just spending a little time with you."_

Max will never know what I did for her. She'll never know why I came back. But it was all for her. Everything was for her. She will never expire, like the rest of the experiments. She'll live a long happy life with her family, and die naturally. I can't regret giving that to my daughter. I only wish I could tell her so. But my time is limited, as I lay here in a hospital bed. My only companion being Dr. Martinez, crying softly beside me. "I'm sorry." I whispered, and took my last breath. All the pain and suffering I endured weighted on my final goodbye.

_You only get just one time around  
You only get one shot at this  
One chance, to find out  
The one thing that you don't wanna miss  
One day when it's all said and done  
I hope you see that it was enough, this  
One ride, one try, one life...  
To love.... _

The next chapter (and second verse) is in Max's point of view. REVIEW PLEASE! I'll update soon. Like, really soon. I have both the chapters typed up, and I'll post them once I get enough reviews to make me feel appreciated. ;)

KTHNXBYE,

-Bergatron


	2. Chapter 2

Part two! This is the final chapter. If you want me to continue the story in Max's POV, I might if I get enough reviews. Onward!

P.S I don't own Maximum Ride.

Here's the URL again: .com/watch?v=QF1Ezk21cDo

Max POV:

_She never thought she cared so much about those little hands  
That held on tight the day she left  
Til she was scared to death _

It was a midsummer afternoon. We were somewhere in southern California, by New Mexico. It had been almost three months since any sign of the school or institute had found us, and everyone was overly lazy and deviant. I, being the leader of my flock, was at wits end. I felt like I was 50 years old, and had way too much responsibility. I had never felt that way before we defeated Itex...and the voice suggested I take a break. The day I left will be forever engrained in my mind. It was the biggest mistake of my life.  
Nudge was persistent in making us fly to the beach, and I was so sick of the whining and nagging that I snapped. "Fine!" I yelled, after Gazzy joined in the begging and insisting. Fang was watching warily from behind them, and Angel stood back looking close to tears. She had read my mind and knew what I was going to say.  
"Go to the stupid beach! Fang will go with all of you. I'm fed up with all of your attitudes! I'm leaving."  
Horror struck, Nudge turned silent. Gazzy looked up at me with terrified eyes, and Iggy just looked dumbfounded. Fang looked ad emotionless as ever, and didn't move to stop me. We had been fighting a lot lately, and I think he anticipated me leaving. Angel was bawling by now, and ran to hug my waist. "max, please, no! You can't leave us! We need you. We love you."  
I looked down at her and almost gave in, but then remembered all the times she had told me she hated me or that she wished I would just go away. Angel was always used to getting what she wanted. I was done feeding the fire.  
"no," I said icily, "you don't." And I pushed her arms off from around me, and took a running step back before jumping into the air and flying hyper speed as far away as I could get from them.

_Sitting all alone on a hotel bed, the end of the road  
The sun had set on her big plans  
To feel young again _

I stayed at a hotel in Nevada for about a week, wishing more and more that I was back with my family. I left because I needed time off from being a mom. I was Maximum Ride, savior of the world, not super nanny. But the more time u spent away from them, the more I realized how much they really meant to me. About a week after I became bored out of my mind, but still too proud to go running back to them, I got a call on my cell phone again. The first week away they called me every day, sometimes several times a day, leaving desperate messages filled with tears and sobs. Eventually the messages became less frequent, until they stopped all together. So when try called this time, I decided to answer.

_She picks up the phone, dials the number, hears that little voice  
That's haunted every single mile, since she made that choice_

"hello?" I said, close to tears already, wondering if I could handle telling either nudge or angel how sorry I was. "max?" Came the low, smooth voice of none other than Fang. "yeah, it's me." I said, scared to imagine what was going through his head. "I didn't expect you to answer," He said icily, referring to all the missed calls from the last month. "I'm sorry," I began, but Fang didn't want my apology. "It's too late for that, Max. You broke the kid's hearts." I sobbed loudly; embarrassed that he could hear me over the phone. "I know," I said, broken. "It's too late to be sorry max. I was calling to let you know that we're stopping all contact with you. We're done waiting to be disappointed. I'm done with you. Goodbye." Then the phone went dead, and I cried harder than I ever had before. I lost my chance. My one shot was gone. They were gone.

_You only get just one time around  
You only get one shot at this  
One chance, to find out  
The one thing that you don't wanna miss  
One day when it's all said and done  
I hope you see that it was enough, this  
One ride, one try, one life...  
To love............ _

Now, twelve months later, I'm working as a waitress at this fancy restaurant. I get by, by myself, but I'm slowly dying inside. Yet I can't do anything about it, because my one chance is gone. My life is pointless without them.

_You only get just one time around  
Only get one shot at this  
One chance, to find out  
The one thing that you don't wanna miss  
One day when it's all said and done  
I hope you see that it was enough, this  
One ride, one try, one life........  
One ride, one try, one life........  
To love....  
To love....  
One ride, one try, one life.............. _

The End.

Review please! I know that was really sad, but I haven't seen very many sad fan fictions. They're all fluffy and romance. I thought I could change it up a little bit…So let me know what you think.


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